This Weekend in Portland, Oregon.

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julz02

In any given weekend, there’s too much going on to even begin writing about. This weekend in Portland though, there is a particularly unique set of shows going down. Everyone knows the weekend begins on Thursday now-a-days, but for the purposes of this post I’ll start on Friday.

The epic and amazing Black Heart Procession are going to be introducing their doom & gloom atmospherics to the Aladdin Theater this Friday with Bellini. Now into their tenth year as a band (and six albums deep) the places they’ve been and struggles they’ve faced resonate really fucking heavily on their latest record, Six. And hey, as Portlanders we get to take some credit for their masterful malcontent, because founding member Tobais Nathaniel used to call Portland home!

If you’re sick of your typical Friday night (who isn’t?) be sure to check out the Black Heart Procession, I promise they’ll be a pleasurable change of pace. Also, be on the lookout for an upcoming feature on FuckBadMusic in which the aforementioned Tobais Nathaniel shares some of his favorite Portland haunts. Who knows, maybe Aladdin Theater will be one of them after this Friday.

The Black Heart Procession – Rats

And if Black Heart Procession proves to be a little too traditional for your tastes (you are insane), look forward to Saturday! Julianna Barwick will be playing her subdued experimental songs in a (surprise!) somewhat experimental setting. That’s because the organizers of the event, titled Sonic Celluloid, have asked each act to choose an accompanying film for their set. The film they choose will be playing as they play in a “muted and trippy” format. I’m thinking Psychic Ills, but with a narrative! The event goes down (including Portland’s own White Rainbow) at the Reed College Chapel this Saturday at 9:00pm. Be there or be boring.

Julianna Barwick – Various Songs

Posted By David Hutchinson

Heavy Metal in Baghdad

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I was able to check this movie out from the multnomah county library, and I am totally impressed by this films ability to entertain me with the story of the only heavy metal band to ever exist in Iraq (and other nearby arab countries) while also telling a very personal story of the day-to-day lives of civilians in war-torn Iraq.

Here’s the official summary:

Heavy Metal in Baghdad is a feature film documentary that follows the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda from the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to the present day. Playing heavy metal in a Muslim country has always been a difficult (if not impossible) proposition but after Saddam’s regime was toppled, there was a brief moment for the band in which real freedom seemed possible. That hope was quickly dashed as their country fell into a bloody insurgency. From 2004-2007, Iraq disintegrated around them while Acrassicauda struggled to stay together and stay alive, always refusing to let their heavy metal dreams die. Their story echoes the unspoken hopes of an entire generation of young Iraqis.

I’d like to have a link here, but i was unable to create any.  So just go to the myspace page for Acrassicauda.

Posted By Gray